Organotins in fish muscle and liver from the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea: Is the total ban successful?

• Butyltin compounds remain present in fishes from the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea.
• The effectiveness of the total ban on OTs in antifouling paints has been verified.
• Organotins should be still monitored in the marine environment.

Muscle and liver tissues of nine fish species were analyzed to assess butyltin and phenyltin contamination. The samples were collected from three basins located in the Southern Baltic Sea coastal zone that each represent different potential for organotin pollution. Maximum total concentrations of butyltin compounds (BTs) in the fish muscles and livers were 715 and 1132 ng Sn g− 1 d.w., respectively, whereas triphenyltin (TPhT) was not detected. In the muscle samples, the predominant compound in the sum of butyltins was tributyltin (TBT), while in the liver samples, tributyltin degradation products were found in the majority. The results demonstrate that 6–7 years after the implementation of the total ban on harmful organotin use in antifouling paints, butyltins remain present in fishes from the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea. According to the HELCOM recommendation, eight samples exceeded the good environmental status boundary for tributyltin in seafood.